With summer around the corner, the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League is gearing up for our next Opening Day. Though an exact date has yet to be determined, you can expect more announcements as the schedule unfolds. Eight GHTBL franchises will return to action around late May of this year. The 2024 Regular Season should include another charity series at Dunkin’ Park. Each team will fundraise for a different food bank around the state. Read more about this effort called Stadium Series 4 Food Banks at Dunkin’ Park: Givebutter.com/ss4fb (more to come on this).
The twilight league continues to present a uniquely competitive experience for players of all ages. A mix of young and old teammates – local amateurs, college players, high school prospects, and ex-professionals – have developed talent, camaraderie and lifelong friendships. Deep into each season, teams seem to melt together in one way or another in pursuit of a common goal. To describe the GHTBL, one might say we’re a meritocracy operated by a large group of friends with help from umpires.
GHTBL’s switch-hitting home run king of 2023.
Maybe that’s why GHTBL has staying power? For the last 95 years, the league has clung to a classic style of the game. Baseball purists seem to appreciate that the league requires nine players to a lineup while disallowing leniencies like metal bats, courtesy pinch-runners, and free-for-all substitutions. Whatever the reason, the tradition continues. After all, traditions are important, and they don’t go unrecognized. When a sport as beloved as baseball is played and witnessed in a pure form, virtually unchanged from years gone by, that’s something people can appreciate.
On behalf of President Holowaty and the Executive Committee, enjoy the rest of your off-season and here’s to another summer!
To apply for a roster spot, players are asked to fill out a Player Application found at GHTBL.org/join. Here’s a list of our current teams and managers:
League Management
Trevor Mays, Manager
Joe Acampora, Assistant Manager
Chris Kehoe, General Manager
Jeff Criscuolo, Manager
Arthur Tipton, Assistant Manager
Tim Kiro, Bench Coach
Tom Abbruzzese, Manager
Eric Malinowski, Assistant Manager
Weston Ulbrich, General Manager
Victor DeSimone, Manager
AJ Hendrickson, Manager and General Manager
JD Tyler, General Manager
Ron Pizzanello, Manager
Kevin Powell, General Manager
Jack Ceppetelli, Manager
GHTBL Executive Committee
The GHTBL has organized competitive baseball since the summer of 1929. It all started at Colt Park during the game’s Golden Era, when top players from the Greater Hartford area went straight from the twi-loop to the professional ranks.
GREATER
HARTFORD
TWILIGHT
BASEBALL
LEAGUE
Back in 1979, Gene Johnson of Moriarty Brothers in Manchester was bestowed with the “Player of the Half Century Award” by the GHTBL Hall of Fame. Here’s Gene (right) accepting the award from his teammate, Peter Sala (left).
GREATER
HARTFORD
TWILIGHT
BASEBALL
LEAGUE